Scams and Frauds

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Scams and Frauds – Phishing and Spoofing

Stay alert and be smart to the scams and frauds this year. The two most common ways to get hacked by thieves is falling for phishing and spoofing ploys. Think of phishing like fishing, where the bait is dangled hoping for a nibble. The only way not to fall prey is to be proactive and not to react. In other words, give scammers the opposite of what they want. They want that knee jerk reaction, so they can get you to pay. Like a fish, they want to reel you into their net. So don’t give in to them. The problem is that by reacting instead of being proactive, you potentially set yourself up to be scammed. Think of it this way, the whole point of sending an email, text or even calls that sound “life threatening” is to get a reaction out of you.

The phishing and spoofing scammer’s main objective is to get your money. They start by sending a “notice” that looks legit, but it’s FAKE. The first line of an email or text tries to establish trust. It might have the name of a real person, i.e. “Joe Miller”. The next line will have a legitimate email address, i.e. info@domainregistration.com. The rest of the email is all made up.

In 2020, Carter Newhouse, our tenacious phishing expert penned an exciting thriller called ‘To Catch a Phish’. He loves fishing for PHISH. The new edition is out and will undoubtedly become an instant best seller! In the new edition, Newhouse is despatched to track down “Joe Miller” a chameleon PHISH. Scammers like FAKE “Joe Miller” are stuck using the same ploy. Creativity is not their strong suit. The payment links are always to some FAKE domain address. It really is that obvious.

Don’t answer the door to strangers

The old adage applies here too. Never open the door to strangers. Whilst we have more control in our homes, we have less control on the internet. That’s because it’s a cesspool.

Here’s what’s in store in 2021

The New Year will bring a Fresh Start. In addition, check out what’s in store. Interested in connecting with us? Contact us.

Scams and Frauds